


THE STUDY 



<« 



HAKESPEARE'S 1VING I OHN 



King J 



Studies of the Historical Plays of Shakespeare 



BY 

H. A. DAVIDSON, M. A. 



3Hp &tttig-(6ut6? Partes 

CAMBRIDGE, MASS. 



THE STUDY 



OF 



Shakespeare's King John 



Studies of the Historical Plays of Shakespeare, No. i 



BY 

H. A. DAVIDSON, M. A. 



MADISON, WISCONSIN 
JULY, 1908 



•IU 



ESS 

| NOV 19 1908 ' 

I t/opiTijjni s.. r i'£".y j 
CLASS CU ;<Xc< v r 

i cm*r -i! u ~ i 



Copyright 1908 

By H. A. Davidson 

Cambridge Massachusetts 



CONTENTS 



PAGE 

The Study of the Historical Plays of Shakespeare 5 

The Study of the Drama 11 

Note-Book Work ... >..". 15 

The Purpose of the General Topics. 18 

References for the Study of the Historical Plays of 
Shakespeare : 

Required Books 19 

English History 19 

Life and Times of Shakespeare 21 

The Dramatic Art of Shakespeare 21 

Theory of Dramatic Art 22 

Supplementary Reading 23 

The Reading of Criticism 23 

Topics for Study: 

Section I. Preliminary 25 

Section II. Act 1. The Difficulties of King John.. 28 

Section III. Act 2. Plots and Counter Plots 31 

Section IV. Act 3. The Papal Legate 31 

Section V. Act 4. The Little Prince 35 

Section VI. Act 5. The National Spirit 37 

General Topics: 

Section VII. The Dramatis Personae 40 

Section VIII. The Chronology and the Plot 41 

Section IX. Shakespeare's Indebtedness to "The 

Troublesome Raigne" 43 



The Study of the Historical Plays of 
Shakespeare 

H. A. DAVIDSON 

This guide for the study of Shakespeare's historical plays 
is arranged for practical ends. No attempt has been made to 
specialize the study in any one direction. The aim is rather 
to secure intelligent reading and thorough familiarity with the 
text of the plays and at the same time to aid effectively in the 
study of the drama as a form of literary art. 

The objects which have determined the selection and ar- 
rangement of topics for study may be summarized as follows: 

It is intended to aid students, first, in reading with close 
attention, and in retaining, from scene to scene, the dramatic 
significance of all that has preceded, that, as the plot develops 
it may carry the imagination steadily forward to those com- 
plex crises of dramatic action in which many conflicting mo- 
tives mingle. 

Secondly, to aid in understanding the dramatic relation and 
significance of plot and 'counter-plot, of mingling tendencies 
and forces. 

Thirdly, to aid readers in catching, in each scene and act 
the true significance of the characters that carry the action. 
In the dramas of Shakespeare interest always centers in the 



action. Scenes are not arranged for the purpose of presenting 
characters, but 'characters are never mere lay figures brought 
together for the purpose of acting. Words and acts spring 
profoundly and intimately from what the persons are; acts 
seem to reveal depths and complexities of human nature such 
that the qualities of men and women predetermine events. 

Fourthly, the topics for study are arranged for the purpose 
of leading students indirectly, but effectively, to an under- 
standing of the principles of dramatic art as manifest in the 
writing and arrangement of plays. 

Fifthly, little emphasis has been placed, in topics for study, 
upon reference work. A few books of reference have been sug- 
gested in the bibliography; these should be used constantly 
as aids, whenever the reader's familiarity with the vocabulary, 
syntax, or widely varied illustrative material in use in Shakes- 
peare's day is insufficient for clear and full apprehension of 
the dramatist's meaning. A limited vocabulary, or unfamiliar- 
ity with the literary conceits and phrases of the Elizabethan 
period might easily deprive the reader of a just understanding 
of the text and, certainly, of appreciation of the rich play 
of fancy, the ready wit, and the glancing intelligence of the 
master mind of the period. The study of the language and 
the literary qualities of Shakespeare's text as an end, should 
be reserved for the class-room, or the seminar, in connection 
with an adequate library and under competent guidance. 

Sixthly, no adequate study of the sources of Shakespeare's 
plays is possible apart from the resources of libraries. Such 
references to sources as are found in this Study-Guide are lim- 
ited in scope and intended only for the illustration of the 



dramatist's skill and method in adapting old material so that, 
in the result, the borrowed parts assume new and more sig- 
nificant meanings and contribute to a whole of high dramatic 
value. This topic, when pursued as an end by students of 
competent training and scholarship, is rich in the reward it 
offers. 

The Arden edition of the text suggested for use, contains 
the material for an elementary study of Shakespeare's rythm 
and lines. Further study of this topic is left to the initiative 
of individual students, or the guidance of instructors. Many 
subjects of special study, not touched upon in this guide, will 
suggest themselves to Shakespearean scholars, but they do not 
fall within the scope and purpose of this little book. For the 
most part, also, such subjects are profitable only for advanced 
students who need no other guide than the purpose in hand, 
and who are abundantly able to avail themselves of the ripe 
scholarship of those who have given years to the special topic 
that claims their interest. 

It remains to say a word of apology for the mingling of the 
study of English history with the study of Shakespeare's plays. 
In a narrow sense, the student of the historical plays of Shakes- 
peare has no concern with the period of English history in 
which the events of the play belong. He asks from what source 
Shakespeare drew his material and, when he has found the 
chronicle, or the earlier play, used by the dramatist, he directs 
his attention to the discovery of the selection and adaptation 
by which the new play was arranged. The Shakespearean 
scholar is, theoretically, impregnable in his position that we 
should inquire only for the contemporary historical source of 



f/ ? 



8 



the characters and events used by the dramatist as the basis 
of the scenes and acts he imagined. In practice, this is usu- 
ally interpreted narrowly and, as a result, attention is cen- 
tered upon the Chronicle, or 'Lives,' or earlier play, from 
which the dramatist borrowed. This examination fails to re- 
veal a most important element in Shakespeare's work, one, in 
truth, of greater significance than any single source of con- 
versations, or scenes, or stage arrangement. Into his adapta- 
tions of old chronicle-plays or histories, Shakespeare infused 
something derived frbm no one of them, — a new relation of 
parts, a deeper understanding of political events, an interpre- 
tation of history as he knew it, that seems almost prophetic. 
To the question of how he came upon this wide comprehension 
of the meaning and trend of events extending over several 
generations, it is an easy answer to suggest the genius' of the 
greatest dramatist the world has known, but a closer analysis 
shows that Shakespeare's special gifts lay, first, in his exceed- 
ing readiness and versatility in absorbing phases of the life, 
belief, and knowledge of his own generation; secondly, in his 
power of intellectual detachment from his own experiences so 
that he both shared the emotions and experiences of his fellow 
men, and also compared, related, and judged; and thirdly, in 
such gifts of mind or temperament that he unconsciously 
grasped the fundamental and permanent principles of drama- 
tic art. The first of these qualities made him the great ex- 
ponent of the minds and passions of all men in all ages; the 
second made him a practical student of political and historical 
events, and enabled him to interpret their meaning; the third, 
his supreme gift as a dramatist, enabled him to present the 



9 



rich fruitage of his mental activity in an art-form of perma- 
nent and living vitality. The result is that in his interpreta- 
tion of history, in his understanding of men, or of times, 
Shakespeare often outruns his own historical knowledge. In 
King Richard Second, for instance, he seizes upon the great 
transitions taking place in that age and by a stroke of genius 
he relates them, both to the theories and practices of royal pre- 
rogative in the reigns of the Plantaganet kings of England, 
and to the rise of those forces that, long after, in the reigns of 
Henry VIII. and of Elizabeth, brought forth the new England 
of modern times. 

Of all this, the student of Holinshed's Chronicle or of The 
Troublesome Raigne, or of Marlowe's Edward Second, learns 
little; but if, presently, he turn to modern histories and, by 
means of the best, inquires what the underground forces were 
that shaped the destinies of the English people between the 
time of King John and that of Richard Second, he will find 
later, on comparison, that Shakespeare has included in his 
play almost every one. The demands of the laborers, the far 
reaching results of the Black Death, the changes in industry, 
the rise of a commercial class, the passing of the power of the 
armed knight and the decay of the walled town, the new 
demands of the Commons, the attitude of the church, are all 
touched upon. To the careful student of history, the play 
seems to embody the 'complex elements of unrest that marked 
the age, while Richard and Hereford respectively stand for 
the earlier and the later conceptions of kingship in England. 
The critic and the historian seem to be writing from essen- 
tially similar points of view when Professor Hereford speaks 



10 



of "the political problem of the history, — that struggle be- 
tween legitimacy and aptitude which the nation so rapidly 
settled in favor of the latter," as the key note of the situation 
in the play, and the historian, Bishop Stubbs, in his discussion 
of the causes of Richard's downfall, uses these words, 
"Henry IV. coming to the throne as he did, made the validity 
of a parliamentary title indispensable to royalty; and Richard 
II., in vacating the throne, withdrew the theory, on whicb 
he had tried to act and by which he had been wrecked, of the 
supremacy of prerogative." i 

Shakespeare was familiar with the administration of af- 
fairs and the relation of classes in the age of Elizabeth and 
drew, at any moment, unconsciously, upon a fund of knowledge 
which could be paralleled in our time only by most thorough 
and painstaking study of the history, ideas, and political 
events of the age in which he lived. In a day when scenic 
presentation was a chief means of communicating ideas and 
information passed from group to group by word of mouth, it 
seems probable that the public may have been more familiar 
with the important events of national history than in the 
present age of many books. This common fund of knowledge, 
familiarly held in mind, Shakespeare counted upon in his au- 
dience, and it is precisely this background for the apprecia- 
tion and enjoyment of the historical plays that the modern 
reader lacks. It seems certain, then, that such a study of his- 
tory as will in a measure provide a substitute for this vital, 
sub-conscious familiarity of the men and women who first saw 
these plays with the present and the traditional past of their 



1 Sec. 269, chap, xvi., v. 2, Stubbs', Constitutional History of Eng- 
land. 



11 



own age, must contribute much to a better understanding of 
tLe dramas. 

It is also frankly admitted that this guide is intended to 
serve a double purpose. Shakespeare's profound insight and 
his gift of interpretation suggest the wisdom of combining the 
study of his dramas with study of the history and times of 
which he wrote. For readers who seek culture anS a better 
understanding of history and of literature, rather than special 
scholarship, the study, pari-passu, of literature and of the 
ages of which it is the most intimate, often the most reliable 
expression, is an incomparable means of attainment. 

THE STUDY OF THE DRAMA 

Aristotle defines tragedy as "an imitation of an action that 
is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude." The defini- 
tion, with modifications, will serve for other plays than trage- 
dies. A drama must present an imitation of an action which 
is complete, well arranged, and of purport calculated to im- 
press or interest. Aristotle's definitions are, historically, the 
sources from which our theories of dramatic art have been 
derived, and there is still no better beginning of study of the 
form and structure of the drama than parts of the Poetics. 
The following definitions, briefly quoted from Butcher's trans- 
lation, are fundamental in an understanding of the principles 
of dramatic sequence and unity of action: 

"A beginning is that which does not itself follow any thing 
by causal necessity, but after which something is or naturally 
comes to be. An end, on the contrary, is that which itself 
naturally follows some other thing, either by necessity or in 



12 



the regular course of events, but has nothing following it. 
A middle is that which follows something as some other thing 
follows it. A well constructed plot, therefore, must neither 
begin nor end at haphazard, but conform to the type here 
described." * * * 

* * * "The plot being an imitation of an action, must 
imitate one action and that a whole, the structural union of 
the parts being such that, if any one of them is displaced or 
removed, the whole will be disjointed and disturbed. For that 
which may be present or absent without being perceived, is 
not an organic part of the whole." 

The following suggestions are designed for the women of 
study clubs, readers, and isolated students who seek aid in 
critical study. Students working in classes with an instruc- 
tor and having access to discussions of dramatic art should 
follow other methods, or use these suggestions as an adjunct 
to broader and more analytic work. 

After the preliminary study indicated for each play: 

I. For each act, fix firmly in mind the leading characters 
and note for each, — 

a. Name and relationship. 

b. Leading facts in the life of the person, if historical, 

antecedent to the beginning of the play. 

c. Character and role among comrades, antecedent to the 

beginning of the play. 
Note. — The reader should become so familiar with these before enter- 
ing on the study of the act that, in answer to the calling of names, 
she can make ready response with brief descriptions and character 
sketches. 

II. At the beginning of each act, fix firmly in the mind 



13 



time and place, and for every act after the first, notice the 
time interval between the close of the previous act and the 
beginning of the next; ask (a) What is supposed to have oc- 
curred in this interval? (b) How is this interval managed, 
or accounted for, in the setting, or acting of the play? 

III. At the conclusion of the reading or study of each act 
make a plot outline which will show, — 

a. By scenes, the purpose of each. 

b. The main purpose or subject of the act, as a division 

of the play. 

c. The beginning of the plot, if the act is the first; in 

later acts, the situation which serves as beginning 
of the act. 

d. The relation of each scene, in order, to the main pur- 

pose, or plot of the act; that is, the part, or step in 
the plot of the act fulfilled by the scene. 

e. In each act, the most significant moment, correspond- 

ing in a general way to climax in the play. 

f. The conclusion of the act. 

g. The thread's of interest, or unfinished sequelae, at the 

conclusion of the act; these will be clues to follow, 
and a main source of interest in succeeding acts. 
The development of the unfinished sequelae will 
also be a test of the unity of the play and reveal the 
skill of the dramatist. 

Note. — The "Topics for Study" for each act will guide to the selec- 
tion of the true plot sequence, and the "General Topics" are arranged 
to give a similar summary and critical estimate for the play as a 
Whole. 

The following brief statement of the theoretical organiza- 
tion of tragic drama is not intended to take the place of books 



14 



on this subject, or as a guide for special students. For readers 
who have no books on the theory of dramatic art, it will be 
an aid. Historical plays are not necessarily organized in the 
form of the tragic drama, but this type has so manifestly in- 
fluenced the form and arrangement of all plays that the un- 
derstanding of it is essential for study of dramatic structure 
in any of its varied forms. 
In the theoretical drama it is supposed: 

I. That in act 1 we should find an introduction to the main 
group of the dramatis personae, including the central figure 
or hero; a clear indication of essential facts such as time, 
place, and antecedent events necessary for understanding pres- 
ent action; the beginning of the plot, or dramatic action, and 
an indication of the problem, including some hint of every 
element working in this main plot toward an end. 

II. That in act 2 the counter-plot should develop; that is, 
complications, difficulties, and dangers impending to thwart 
the action initiated in act 1 should be fully indicated, together 
with the dramatis personae among whom they originate. 

III. That in act 3 we should have the bringing together 

of these two groups of persons, of these opposing plots, and a 

struggle of forces, not apparently decisive, but indicating with 

certainty to all except the participants the final result. 

Note. — In a five-act tragedy, the climax is usually in the third act. 
It is not difficult to give a theoretical definition of the 1 climax hut the 
determination of the climax, or moment of finality, in a given action 
is often puzzling. Climax may be tested by the question whether 
every element of determining force in the result has yet come into 
full play ; for, if new elements are still to enter, then the issue Is 
not yet fully joined, — a moment still more doubtful may arrive, or 
reversal may take place; but if determining elements have not yet 
become effective, then the issue still hangs in the balance, and the 



15 



action has not yet come to a true climax. The term climax is 
often used for the dramatic scene in which the final issue is joined, 
for the moments of intense suspense preceding the arbitration of fate, 
hut the true climax lies in the brief space of time that marks the 
final turning ; before that breathless instant, diminishing effort still 
rests upon some unexhausted source of hope*; after it, though bat- 
tle rages and counter-plots arise, the end is sure, and when it comes, 
one looking back sees in what moment it was written down in 
the book of fate and realizes that since that time action has been 
no more than the subsidence of expended forces, the after results 
flowing from decisive acts or incidents. 

IV. In act 4 the dramatis personae, often unaware, them- 
selves, that the decision of fate has been reached, take heart 
of courage to renew the struggle. The on-looker, although he 
has understood the trend of events more clearly than those 
who take part in them, must still be almost persuaded when 
he sees the reviving courage and strength of the protagonists 
that they have yet a fighting chance. Upon this act depends, 
in great part, the high character of the tragedy in the end. 
The braver the effort, the more unsubdued the spirit, the bet- 
ter the muster against fate, the more pitiful the downfall 
which reveals the overwhelming odds, the predetermined 
event, the irremediable ruin. 

V. The final act of the tragic drama returns, from its first 
moment, to the expectation of catastrophe with which the 
third act closed and is, in reality, the bringing to view of the 
ruin then wrought, in all its results. 

NOTE-BOOK WORK 

In the study of the drama the note-book is for the purpose 
of preserving for constant use outlines, tables, and references. 
Information found in books should be cross-referenced in the 
text of the plays, but collections of facts' gathered from many 



16 



sources are more accessible and useful when organized in the 
form of brief outlines in note-books. The editor of the Arden 
edition of King John has included a most useful leaf from 
his own note-book, p. 143. — Chronicle of the Reign of King 
John. 

To be useful, the note-book must be paged, and cross refer- 
ences to it placed in the text. Note-book work of a more ex- 
tended kind should be required of students working in 
classes with the aid of special libraries and instruction. 

A. PRELIMINARY TOPICS 

I. A list of the Norman and Plantagenet Kings of England, 
with dates of reigns. 

II. Geneological tables arranged as in Green's Shorter 
History of England. 

a. Showing the descent of the Kings of England, from 

William I., to Henry IV. 

b. Of the family of Henry II., showing children, mar- 

riages, and descendants, as far as necessary, for 
the dramatis personae of these plays. 

c. Of the family of Edward III., in the same way. 

d. Of the family of John of Gaunt, showing the chil- 

ren of Blanche of Lancaster, and also the children 
of Katharine Swynford; that is, the family of the 
Beauforts. 

III. Preliminary to the study of King Richard Second, 
make a chronicle of the important events of his reign simi- 
lar to the one given in the Arden edition for the reign of 
John. 



17 



IV. Biographical notes of characters: 

These are for historical characters found among the dr&> 
matis personae and are a means of securing that familiar 
acquaintance with them as individuals which is ess'ential to 
imaginative reading of the drama. 

V. In the text of King John, mark in each act all passages 
which show the indebtedness of Shakespeare to the earlier 
play, The Troublesome Raigne of King John. This will be 
preparation for the topics of Section IX, p. 43. 

B. TOPICS FOR THE STUDY OF THE PLAY 

I. Keep, by acts, from stage directions, notes, etc., a time 
analysis, and statement of place, etc., for each act of each 
play. This may be kept in the text by noting at the begin- 
ning of each act: 

a. The date of the beginning, or the interval since the 

last act closed. 

b. The time of the act, as far as given. 

c. The place where the scenes are supposed to be. For 

instance, Richard Second, act 1. Time, April i;8, 
1398; place, Richard's palace, Windsor. 

II. Cross-referencing and annotating: 

Essential facts which should be borne in mind may be added 
by note or reference, in the text; for instance, act 1, Richard 

Second, note in the margin for name of John of Gaunt 

born in 1340; note for King Richard, aet. 31 years, etc. When- 
ever an item is found by searching, a reference to book and 
page should be added in the text, even if it be to the notes of 
the edition in use. 



18 



THE PURPOSE OP THE GENERAL TOPICS. 

The general topics for the study of the historical plays 
of Shakespeare have a double object. They are intended 
as a summary and review of the detailed study just con- 
cluded, and they should serve to emphasize the relation of 
parts, and give a broad view of the dramatic significance, 
power and charm of the play. Topics for these purposes will 
be found under "A." 

Critical study must derive its value from intimate knowl- 
edge of detail and close study of parts, but unless, after a 
time, the fragmentary results of such study are used in pur- 
suit of some definite end as the basis of comparison, infer- 
ence, conclusion, the student is little advanced intellectually, 
by all his toil. The second division of general topics is 
added for the use of students and classes having access to 
special libraries and time for extended and critical study. 
These topics are suitable either for written papers or for 
brief discussions in which carefully organized material gath- 
ered from previous reading and study is used as data. 
Topics requiring special library facilities may be omitted when 
these are lacking, or when the study of King John is under- 
taken in clubs for purposes of general culture. 

The topics suggested for critical study do not include even 
a small part of the many interesting subjects suggested by 
each one of Shakespeare's plays. A few have been selected 
which seem especially pertinent and fruitful. Others, it is 
hoped, may appear in later editions of The Study of Shakes- 
peare's King John; such are, The stage presentation of the play 



is* 



in Shakespeare's time, Shakespeare's usage in verse, rime, etc., 
Study of the literary qualities of Shakespeare's plays in re- 
lation to the conceits, forms of expression, etc., of the age 
of Elizabeth. Topics for critical study of the dramatist's work 
as author, stage manager, etc., for study of the sources of his 
play, and for advanced study of the drama of Shakespeare in 
its great qualities have not been included; such study is, in 
its nature, comparative, and should be undertaken only after 
careful study of a considerable number of plays. 



REFERENCES FOR THE STUDY OF THE HISTORICAL 
PLAYS OF SHAKESPEARE* 

REQUIRED BOOKS FOR THE; STUDY OF KING JOHN 

Shakespeare, W. King John. Arden edition. Heath, 25c. 

The Arden edition is chosen because the notes and intro- 
ductions give especial attention to plot and dramatic arrange- 
ment. 

Wendell, B. William Shakespeare. Scribner, $1.75. 

Warner, B. E. English History in Shakespeare's Plays. 
Longmans, $1.75. 

BOOKS FOR THE LIBRARY 
ENGLISH HISTORY 

Norgate, K. John Lackland. (Heroes of the Nations) Put- 
nam, $1.50. 

Stubbs, W. The Early Plantagenets. (Epochs of History) 
Scribner, $1. 



*Prices quoted are list prices. Libraries secure the usual dis- 
counts on these prices, and individuals can sometimes obtain reduc- 
tion. Books not available through regular dealers are marked Out of 
priMt. These may be found in the public 'library, or may be picked 
up second hand. 



20 



Green, Mrs. J. R. Henry the Second. (Twelve English 
Statesmen) Macmillan, 75c. 

Maurice, C. E. Stephen Langton. (English Popular Leaders) 
King, 7s. 6d. (Out of print.) 

Bateson, M. Medieval England. (Story of the Nations) 
Putnam, $1.35. 

Gairdner, J. & Spedding, J. Studies in English History. 
Douglas, 12s. (Out of print.) 
For the chapters on the Lollards. 

Bright, J. F. English History, v. 1. Longmans, $1.50. 

Green, Mrs. J. R. English Towns in the Fifteenth Century. 
2v. Macmillan, $5. 

Trevelyan, G. M. England in the Age of Wycliffe. Long- 
mans, $4. 

Wylie, J. H. English History under Henry the Fourth. 4v. 
Longmans, $20. 
For the trial and deposition of Richard II. 

Pearson, C. H. History of England During the Early and 
Middle Ages. 2v. Bell, 30s. (Out of print.) 

Stubbs, W. Constitutional History of England. 3v. Long- 
mans, each $2.60. 

Ramsay, J. H. The Angevin Empire. Macmillan, $3.25. 

Gairdner, J. The Houses of Lancaster and York. (Epochs 
of History) Scribner, $1. 

Oman, C. W. C. Warwick, the Kingmaker. (English Men 
of Action) Macmillan, 75c. 

Stone, W. G. B. Shakespeare's Holinshed. Longmans, $5. 
(Out of print.) 

Hall, H. Court Life under the Plantagenets. Dutton, $2.50. 

Cutts, E. L. Scenes and Characters of the Middle Ages. 
Virtue, 15s. (Out of print.) 

Gardiner, S. R. Atlas of English History. Longmans, $1.50. 
A good wall map of England. 

W. & A. K. Johnson's is the best and may now Be "Obtained 
in this country for a moderate price. 

Traill, H. D. & Mann, J. S. ed. Social England. 6v. Put- 
nam, each $5. 



21 



LIFE AND TIMES OF SHAKESPEARE 

Lee, S. Life of Shakespeare. Macmillan, $1.75. 

Raleigh, W. A. Shakespeare (English Men of Letters.) 
Macmillan, 75c. 

Brandes, G. William Shakespeare, a Critical Study. Mac- 
millan, $2.60. 

Wendell, B. William Shakespeare. Scribners, $1.75. 

Mabie, H. W. William Shakespeare, Poet, Dramatist and 
Man. Macmillan, $2. 

Bagehot, W. Shakespeare, the Man. McClure, 50c. 

Ward, H. S. & C. Shakespeare's Town and Times. Lane, $3. 

Ordish, T. P. Shakespeare's London. Macmillan, $1.25. 

Stephenson, H. T. Shakespeare's London. Holt, $2. 

Winter, W. Shakepeare's England. Macmillan, 75c. 

Hales, J. W. The Age of Shakespeare. Macmillan. 

Warner, C. D. The People for Whom Shakespeare Wrote. 
Harper, $1.25. 

Creighton, M. Queen Elizabeth. (Epochs of History) 
Scribner, $1. 

Wheatley, H. B. The Story of London. (Mediaeval Towns) 
Macmillan, $1.75. 

One of the best books on London at the time of the his- 
torical events represented in these plays. 

Hall, H. Society in the Elizabethan Age. Ed. 3. Dutton, 
$2.50. 

Ordish, T. P. Early London Theaters. Macmillan, $2. 

Morley, H. English Writers, v. 10. Cassell, $1.50. 

Lee, S. Stratford-on-Avon. New illus. ed. Lippincott, $1.50. 

THE DRAMATIC ART OF SHAKESPEARE 

Lounsbury, T. R. Shakespeare as a Dramatic Artist. Scrib- 
ner, $3. 

Moulton, R. G. Shakespeare as a Dramatic Artist. Ed. 3. 
Clarendon Press, $1.90. 

Bradley, A. C. Shakespearean Tragedy. Macmillan, $3.25. 

Brink, B. T. Five Lectures on Shakespeare. Holt, $1.25. 



22 



Coleridge, S. T. Lectures on Shakespeare. (Bonn's Stan- 
dard Library.) Macmillan, $1. 

TJlriei, H. A. Shakespeare's Dramatic art. 2 v. Macmillan, 
each $2. 

Smith, D. N. Eighteenth Century Essayists on Shakespeare. 
Macmillan, $3. 

Contains Morgann's essay on the dramatic character of Sir 
John Falstaff. 

Snider, D. J. Shakespeare's Histories. Sigma Pub. Co., $1.50. 

Corson, H. An Introduction to the Study of Shakespeare. 
Heath, $1. 

Hazlitt, W. Lectures on the Age of Elizabeth and Charac- 
ters of Shakespeare's Plays. (Bonn's Standard Li- 
brary) Macmillan, $1. 

Hudson, H. N. Shakespeare, his Life, Art, and Characters. 
2v. Ginn, $4. 

Baker, G. P. The Development of Shakespeare as a Drama- 
tist. Macmillan, $1.50. 

Warner, B. E. Famous Introductions to Shakespeare's Plays. 
Dodd, $2.50. 

THEORY OF DRAMATIC ART 

Schelling, F. The English Chronicle Play. Macmillan, $2. 
Freytag, G. The Technique of the Drama. Scott, $1.50. 
Price, W. T. The Technique of the Drama. Brentano, $1.50. 
Hennequin, A. The Art of Play Writing. Houghton, $1.25. 
Butcher, S. H. Aristotle's Theory of Poetry and Fine Art 

with a Critical Text and Translation of the Poetics. 

Ed. 3. Macmillan, $4. 
For advanced students. 

REFERENCE BOOKS 

Clarke. M. C. & C. C. The Shakespeare Key. Scribner, $7.50. 
Bartlett, J. Concordance to Shakespeare. Macmillan, $1.50. 
Abbott, E. A. Shakespearean Grammar. New ed. Mac- 
millan, $1.50. 
Schmidt, A. Shakespeare Lexicon. 2v. Lemcke, $8. 
Dowden, E. Introduction to Shakespeare. Scribner, 75c. 



23 

Fleming, W. H. How to Study Shakespeare. 4v. Double- 
day, each $1. 

Corson, H. Introduction to the Study of Shakespeare. 
Heath, $1. 

Dyer, T. F. T. Folk-lore of Shakespeare. Harper, $2.50. 

Barnard, F. P. Companion to English History in the Middle 
Ages. Clarendon Press, $2.90. 

Oman, C. The Art of War in the Middle Ages. Putnam, $4.50. 

SUPPLEMENTARY READING 

Clarke, M. C. The Girlhood of Shakespeare's Heroines. 
Scribner, $3. 

Rolfe, W. J. Shakespeare the Boy. Harper, $1.25. 

Black, C. W. Judith Shakespeare. Harper, $1.25. 

Bennet, J. Master Skylark. Century, $1.50. 

Abbey, E. A. Illustrations of Shakespeare's Richard Second. 
Harper's Magazine, v. 106, p. 505-511. (March, 1902.) 

Abbey, E. A. Illustrations of Shakespeare's King John. 
Harper's Magazine, v. 106, p. 505-511. (March, 1902.) 

Hewlett, M. Richard Yea-and-Nay. Macmillan, $1.50. 

Scott, W. Ivanhoe. Any good edition. 
For the character of King John. 

Jameson, A. B. Characteristics of Women. Houghton, $1.25. 

Lamb, C. & M. Tales from Shakespeare. Macmillan, $1. 

Marlowe, C. Edward Second. (Temple Dramatists.) Mac- 
millan, $4. 

Note: — This play is easily found. Its importance lies in 
the fact that Marlowe was the first to adapt the material 
found in chronicles, history-plays, etc., to the form of 
dramatic art. This play, probably produced in 1590, seems to 
be the model from which Sshakepeare first learned his own 
greater art. 

THE READING OF CRITICISM 

Students are earnestly requested not to read discussions 
of the plot or structure of these plays or of the characters In 
them, until the conclusion of the work suggested in Topics 



24 



for Study. After the student has become familiar with the 
text of the play and has by study and comparison defined 
her own impressions of characters or plot, the reading of 
critical essays will suggest other opinions for comparison 
with those gained at first hand from the text. The reading 
of discussions of literature of which one is ignorant makes 
little impression on the mind, and succeeding opinions, if 
different, displace those first read, since the reader has no 
reliable means of judging between them. 



25 



THE STUDY OF SHAKESPEARE'S 
KING JOHN 



TOPICS FOR STUDY 

SECTION I. PRELIMINARY TOPICS 

1. Make in the note book, or on the fly leaf of Shakespeare's 
text, a list of the kings of England from William 
I. to James I., showing dates of reigns, and groups. 
In this table, underline heavily each king made the 
subject of a drama by Shakespeare. 

2. Make a genealogical table showing the descent of John 
from William the Conqueror, and his relationship to 
the other descendants of William I. 

3. Which claim to the throne of England was the better, 

John's, or Arthur's? Why? Why did John succeed 
in maintaining his claim? 
Was the blood of the Saxon royal family represented 
in any degree in John? 

4. What were the race characteristics of the Plantagenet 

kings of England? 
How did they differ in character from the Norman 
kings? 



26 

How did their rule over England differ from the Norman 

rule? 

Note: — Henry II. may be called the greatest of the Plantagenets. 
Their characteristics and activity are described in Mrs. J. R. Green's 
Henry the Second. Of him, his secretary wrote, "Solomon saith there 
be three things difficult to be found out, and a fourth which may 
hardly be discovered; the way of an eagle in the air, the way of 
a ship in the sea; the way of a serpent on the ground; and the 
way of a man in his youth. I can add a fifth : the way of the 
king in England." 

5. "What had been John's personal relations with his father, 

Henry the Second? 

6. With his brother, Richard? 

7. With Philip, King of France? 

Note.— In Hewlett's Richard Yea and Nay and in Scott's novels 
will be found descriptions of the personal relations of these men, not 
always accurate in historical detail, but essentially correct in spirit. 

SECTION II. THE DIFFICULTIES 

ACT I 1 
8. What is the time, and where is the place of the open- 
J ing scene of King John? 

%. In what part of act 1 lies the beginning of the dra- 
matic action, or plot, of the play? 

10. How many essential steps in this beginning? 

11. What had been John's inheritance at his coronation? 

From whom had each part of this inheritance come? 

12. What parts of John's inheritance did Arthur claim? 

On what ground? 

13. Show by genealogical tree the basis of Arthur's claim 

to the English crown. 

~~M3ee section ix, p. 1, for suggestion for marking in the text Shakes- 
peare's indebtedness, to The Troublesome Badgne. 



27 



14. Why did the French king espouse Arthur's cause? 

15. Why did Elinor take John's part rather than Arthur's? 

16. Did John think Arthur's claim better than his own, or 

on what ground did he fear him? 

Enter the Bastard: 

17. What is the purpose in act 1 of the scene in which 

Robert and Philip Faulconbridge play parts? 

18. In what ways is the Bastard identified with Richard 

'Cordelion'? 
1©. What are the personal qualities and characteristics of 
the Bastard, as shown in this act? 

20. What was the Bastard's philosophy of life? On what 

did he depend for success? 

21. What are the relations of the Bastard with other char- 

acters? What role does he seem likely to play in 
the drama? 

22. Compare Philip Faulconbridge with King John in such a 

way as to show which of the two characters Shakes- 
peare wished to be the central figure on the stage in 
this act? 

23. According to indications in act 1, what is to be the 

real subject of the play, the key to the dramatic 
action? 

24. What indications of John's character are to be found 

in act 1? 

25. What seems to be John's purpose and part in the ac- 

tion beginning in act 1? 

26. What knowledge of antecedent events is necessary for 

the understanding of act 1? 



28 



27. On page 143, Arden edition of King John, is a chron- 

icle, in outline, of the reign of John, and a discus- 
sion of the chronology of the play will be found on 
pp. x. — xviii. 

a. In this outline, star the time of the opening scene 

in the play and, by comparison with act 1, note 
every introduction of facts antecedent to this date, 
and every historical reference. 

b. For each antecedent faiet or reference, show (1) on 

what excuse it is introduced, and (2) for what 

reason the knowledge of it was necessary, just at 

this point, to the dramatist's purpose. 

Note. — The resources of the dramatist for conveying to the audience 
informatoin about persons, or antecedent history, or knowledge of con- 
temporary action not co-incident with that upon the stage, is extremely 
limited. The novelist may fill many pages, at intervals in the narra- 
tive, with this sort of material, — a privilege often abused); but the 
dramatist must seek excuses which would be plausible in the rapid 
transitions of action or conversation transpiring in the mixed company 
upon the boards. The old device of "asides" addressed to an invisible 
confidant, and supposed to be inaudible to the company of which the 
speaker forms a part, has been practically discarded as unworthy of 
the skillful dramatist. 

SECTION III. PLOT AND COUNTER PLOT 

ACT 2 

28. How long after the close of act 1 is the opening of act 

2? Where and when does act 2 open? 

29. In the age of John, how long a time in reality, was 

necessary to transport the king and his army from 

England to Angiers? 

Note. — See Traill & Mann Social England, v. 1, Oman's Art of W<zr, 
etc. 



29 



30. What has happened in the interval? 

31. How is the information conveyed? 

32. Is any part of these events essential to the plot? 

33. What connects the opening scene of act 2 with act 1 in 

the mind of the reader? 

34. At the close of act 1 with whom was the interest of the 

reader? 

35. In the opening of act 2, what interests the reader « 

most? / 

36. a. Why did Shakespeare introduce the reference to 

the old enmity between the Duke of Austria and ! 
Richard 'Cordelion'? 
b. Does he make a dramatic motive out of this heredi- 
tary enmity? What is the historical basis for it? I 
See notes in Arden edition, and introduction, p. xxv. 

37. Why did Blanche take John's part? 

38. To whom did the city of Angiers, the place of meeting, 

owe fealty? 
39-. How had Anjou, Maine, and Touraine come to the crown 
of England? What other possessions had England 
in France? 

40. Were cannon and bullets in use at the time of John? 

41. Explain 1. 170, "which heaven shall take in nature of a 

fee;" 1. 135, Faulconbridge's words, "Hear the crier." 

42. 1. 192, "Is this will historic?" Had a king of England 

the right to make a will bequeathing the crown? How 
did the law of inheritance of royal titles in Eng- 
land differ from the law of inheritance on the Con- 
tinent? (see Salic Law.) 



30 



43. Give the argument of England addressed to Angiers. 

44. Give the argument of France addressed to Angiers. 

45. Why did Angiers refuse to take either side of the quar- 

rel? Did this device protect the city? 

46. How is the time between the exeunt of the armies to 

fight and the second summons to Angiers managed? 

The Proposal of the Marriage: 

47. Show by geneological tree the relation of Blanch to King 

John, and to Arthur. 

48. What was the inheritance by birth of ea'ch one of these 

two persons? 

49. What was to be added to this inheritance by each party 

interested? 

50. What did the citizens of Angiers expect to gain by a 

marriage between the Dauphin and Blanch? 

51. Why did John favor this proposal? 
62. Why did Philip favor the plan? 

53. Who were opposed to the marriage? 

54. Give the motives influencing each. 

55. Why does Elinor advise giving over so many provinces 

to the French? 

56. If John should die without issue who would inherit 

these provinces? Who would inherit the crown of 
England? 

57. Why are Faulconbridge's comments given? 

58. How does Shakespeare center attention on Faulcon- 

bridge in these scenes? 



31 



The Dramatic Plot in Act 2: 

59. What steps in the development of the plot are made in 

scene 1, act 2? 

60. What indications of the future course of the action do 

you find in act 2? 

61. What new motives, facts, conditions, etc., are introduced 

in scene 1, act 2, which have determining influence 
in the plot? 

62. What is the dramatic situation at the close of act 2? 

m 

Note. — A careful statement of the dramatic situation at a given 
moment must take account of all unexpended forces, all elements of 
importance in determining action, and must indicate the different de- 
velopments possible. That is, an equation of the center of interest 
and suspense must: be taken which will indictate, analytically, all un- 
finished sequelae, and the alternatives, in the plot, that may arise 
from each. 

63. a. In what does interest center at the close of act 2? 

b. What issues are pressing? 

Note. — Show for each, influences and motives workng for or a- 
gainst, and indicate probable issue as the case now stands. 

SECTION IV. THE PAPAL LEGATE 
ACT 3 

64. Where, when, does act 3 open? What has* occurred in 

the interval? 

65. What unfinished threads of motive, plot, etc., from the 

previous acts has the author at the beginning of 
act 3? 

66. Why does the Bastard, apparently, try to quarrel with 

Austria? 



32 



67. What is emphasized in the first part of act 3, scene 1? 

Why? 

Enter Pandulph: 

68. What was the authority and position of a Papal Legate 

in this century? 

Note. — The long contest between John and Pope Innocent III. in 
regard to the candidate for the vacant bishopric of Canterbury was a 
matter of political importance in Europe. Shakespeare seizes upon 
the significance of this struggle for the English people and sum- 
marizes for dramatic purposes events which had dragged on through 
years. 

69. What was Pandulph's mission in England? How did 

John receive him? 

70. When had the last archbishop of Canterbury died? 

71. To whom did the revenues of the cathedral and see of 

Canterbury go while the primacy remained vacant? 

72. Give a brief topical statement of the history and char- 

acter of Stephen Langton. 

73. Who were the other candidates for the position? 

74. What was the objection to Stephen in England? 

75. What was the point at issue between King John and the 

Pope? Which one was in the right? 

Note. — The chapter of the cathedral claimed an ill-defined right of 
electing the primate, since he was also head of the chapter ; this right 
was not admitted by the king whose nomination was practically im- 
perative. The elective body, ordinarily, was made of royal commis- 
sioners, bishops, — likely to be subservient to the royal will, — and of the 
chapter of the cathedral. Hence, there were three candidates for the 
vacant primacy, — one, hastily and secretly chosen by the chapter and 
despatched to Rome ; another, nominated by the King ; and Stephen 
Langton, the Pope's candidate, whom he sought to force upon the 
electors. Stephen Langton was a notable man, chancellor of the 
University of Paris, and Cardinal, a great man also in his personal 
qualifictions, as his later career proves, but at the moment he stood 



33 



for the rilght of Innocent III. to force his own creatures upon the 
free electors of the English church, and the contest over the election 
soon hecame a struggle for supremacy between the head of the church 
and the head of the nation. 

76. What had been the policy of former kings of England 

in similar situations? 
Note. — Answer should he definite and include instances. 

77. Was it for John's interest to defy the Pope? Why did 

he take this course? 
.78. What was the effect of Pandulph's message upon Philip? 
In what course did the interest of France lie? Why"? 
What did Philip do? 

Pandulph's answer to John's defiance: 

79. a. What were the particulars of an excommunication? 

b. What were the immediate results of this excommuni- 

cation of John? 

c. What was the practical effect of the excommunication 

and of the interdict which accompanied it in Eng- 
land? 
Note. — See Bright's History of England, v. 1, p. 131, Pearson's His- 
tory of England, v.. 2, chap. 2, etc. 

80. What is the effect of Pandulph's message in the plot 

of the play? 

81. How is the position of John in the play, altered by the 

introduction of this new issue? 

82. Which side did Constance take? Why? 

Scenes 3 and 4- 

83. What was Hubert's "voluntary oath?" 

What rank and position did Hubert hold in England? 
What was the secret of his influence over John? 



34 



84. In what does scene 3 advance the plot? 

85. Show the successive insinuations by which John at 

length suggested his wish to Hubert without commit- 
ting himself in words. 

86. Write, or give, stage directions for the acting of this 

scene with a view to making it most effective. 

87. In what points does scene 4 advance the plot? 

Scene 4 and plot in act 3. 

88. What new factors in the development of the plot have 

been introduced in this act? 

89. Which are the central figures in act 3 ? Compare the 

relation of the reader to these characters' in act 3 with 
his attitude toward the same characters in act 2? 

90. What is the situation of the main dramatic action at 

the close of act 3: 

a. On the English side. 

b. On the French side. 

91. How many issues command attention at the close of 

act 3? 

92. What unfinished threads of plot are you most anxious 

to follow in act 4? 

93. Is there a single main issue involving all others? 

94. In what lies the beginning of John's downfall? 

95. What roles are played by King John in act 3? 

'96. What is the weakness of act 3 in the development of 
the dramatic action of the play, King John? 

97. Which, thus far in the play, is the finest scene for act- 
ing? Why? 



35 



98. Which scene of the written drama, thus far, has the fin- 
est literary qualities? Illustrate each by citing pas- 
sages. 

SECTION V. THE LITTLE PRINCE 
ACT 4 
99. When and where does act 4 open? 

100. How long an interval was there between the events 

of act 3 and these of act 4? 

101. What occurred in the interval? Is any part of these 

occurrences essential to the plot? How do you deter- 
mine? 

102. What unfinished threads of motive, plot, etc., has the 

author at the beginning of act 4? 

Scene I. 

103. What plot elements do you find in scene 1? 

104. Was Hubert's purpose overcome by the child, or why 

did he yield? 

105. What has given this scene an interest independent of 

the drama in which it is placed? 

Note. — The form of this little scene is in itself a miniature drama 
of perfect unity ; from the beginning, there is one vital question at 
issue, the danger, so imminent, of the loss of sight, and not for a 
moment is it forgotten until the innocent boy wins his reprieve — a 
true climax. The appeal to the human heart, however, lies in~the 
characters drawn with such skill that they are typically true in all 
time, and in many different circumstances. 

106. What is the age of Arthur as represented on the stage? 

107. What was the age of the historical Arthur at the time 

of his death? 



36 



Note. — In a well arranged tragic drama the culmination of difficul- 
ties pressing upon the hero and forecasting his downfall and ruin 
would appear earlier, and the fourth act would either he given to 
such means of resistance as the king could yet command, that the 
ruin pressing upon him, when it falls in the fifth act, may seem in- 
evitable and without remedy ; or, as sometimes in modern drama, acts 
four and five would be condensed to express the swiftness of on- 
coming destiny. King John is adapted from one of the old chronicle- 
history plays, and is not arranged strictly in the typical form of the 
tragic drama. 

The Re-crowning of King John: 

108. How many times, historically, was John crowned? 

109. "Why did John wish to be re-crowned at this time? In 

what year did it occur? 

110. Why did Pembroke object? 

111. What argument did Pembroke and Salisbury urge for 

the release of Arthur? 

112. What is the effect of the news brought by Hubert upon 

John's affairs? 

113. What other items of news were brought by other mes- 

sengers? Explain the relation of each item to John's 

affairs at this particular time. 
Note. — The point of view from which the news is told is, here, that 
of the common listener in the street; we feel the superstition, vague 
alarm, and prejudice that move the populace in times of commotion 
when couflicting rumors fly about. 

114. Was John really glad, or sorry, to learn of Arthur's 

death? Later, to learn that he was not really dead? 

Give reasons. 
Note. — Shakespeare uses Arthur's death as cause of ills that follow, 
since John willed it, and was credited by his subjects with the accom- 
plishment of his purpose; but he relieves the scene of the murder of 
an innocent child by this device, although Arthur, in reality, dies pur- 
sued by a relentless uncle. He also mitigates in almost imperceptible 



37 



degree the obliquity of John's character and softens a little the judg- 
ment of the most unsympathetic, for there is in the minds of men a 
certain fine distinction between the intention of murder and the com- 
mission of the deed. Historically, the manner of Arthur's death is 
uncertain. Historians believe, however, that John either committed 
the murder with his own hand or caused it to be done. The order for 
blinding the prince and other barbarities, — one tradition, — the soften- 
ing of his guards by his own entreaties, and the false rumor of his 
death, eagerly accepted, then denied, may all be found in the old narra- 
tives of the reign of John. Shakespeare simply selected whatever 
suited best his dramatic purpose, without conscientious scruples in 
segard to historical accuracy. 

115. How many plot elements do you find in scene 2, act 4? 

To what conclusions do these all tend? 

116. Does Shakespeare represent the English people as be- 

lievi'ng in Arthur's right of succession, or in John's 
right? 

117. Is it necessary or unnecessary in the plot that Arthur 

should die just at that time? 

118. How does this death affect the main plot? 

119. At the close of act 4, what difficulties press* upon John? 

120. What is the situation of the main plot at the close of 

act 4? What seems to be the main issue and the cen- 
ter of interest at the close of act 4? 

SECTION VI. THE NATIONAL SPIRIT 
ACT 5 

Scene 1. 

121. Was submission to Pandulph the only course open to 

King John at this time? 

122. Answer from the preceding acts of the play. 

123. When and why did John make up his mind to yield? 



38 



124. What were the conditions, on both sides, of the formal 

surrender? 

Note. — A full account of the contest between Pope Clement III and 
John, and of John's surrender, is given in Pearson's History of Eng- 
land during the Early Middle Ages, v. 2, chap. 2. In surrendering 
his crown to Pandulph, John took the position of a feudatory of the 
Pope, and the annual tribute to be paid by the crown of Engtland was 
set at £1,000. This was in addition to the Romescot and other 
church dues sent from England to swell the revenues of the church. 
For many reigns, this tribute continued to be paid. 

125. How did John's submission to the papal legate affect 

his relations, — 

a. With his own subjects, the English people? 

b. With his barons? 

c. With France? 

126. Was the death of Arthur, at this moment, an added 

misfortune, or the reverse? 

127. What is the part of the Bastard in scene 1, act 5? 

128. What is the attitude of the audience towards John in 

this scene? 

129. a. In what lay the weakness of the compact between 

Lewis and the English barons? 
b. What means does Shakespeare use to make this evi- 
dent to an audience? 

130. What motives influenced the Dauphin to refuse to lay 

down arms at the summons of Pandulph? 

131. How did John's surrender change the status of France 

in relation to the war with England? 

132. a. What is the role of the bastard in this scene? 

b. What do you think of his speech? 

c. Does it serve any effective purpose at this point in 

the play? 



39 



133. What is the most important event in scene 2? 

134. What is* the purpose of scene 3, act *5, in the develop- 

ment of the drama? 

135. Why did not Salisbury and Pembroke withdraw from 

the French compact after the announcement of John's 
surrender by Pandulph? 

136. What is the dominant note in scene 4? 

137. What did the dramatist intend should be the moral effect 

of scene 4 on the stage when played for an English 
audience? 

138. Is it necessary that the very brief matter of scene 5 

should be set off as a separate scene? 

139. Find your argument in the plan and arrangement of 

act 5 as a whole. 

140. Why did Shakespeare bring Hubert and the Bastard 

together before the audience at this moment? 

141. For what did each stand? 

142. To what was the downfall and death of John really due? 

143. Is the death of King John the conclusion of the plot, or 

no more than an incident in act 5? 

144. In which of the issues in suspense in different parts of 

the play is the main motive of act 5 and the conclu- 
sion of the play found? 

145. Present the proof on which your opinion rests. 



40 



GENERAL TOPICS 
SECTION VII. THE DRAMATIS PERSONAE 

I. What expression of English spirit is most emphasized in 
the play, King John? 

II. Which character in the play is most typically that of an 
Englishman? 

III. Which characters, if any, represent, in their personality, 
the moods, beliefs, and ideals of the 12th century? 

IV. Which characters are most markedly presentations of 
human nature, such as belong through common characteristics 
or manifestations to all lands and all centuries? 

V. Which woman had the greater ability, Elinor or Con- 
stance? 

VI. Which woman was the more moved by strong passions 
and emotions? 

VII. Had Constance, or Elinor, any real influence, in confer- 
ences of kings and prelates, in determining political action? 

VIII. Are women on the stage essential parts of the dramatic 
action of this play? 

IX. What special reasons determined their introduction, and 
the time and place of their appearances? 

X. Was John as presented by Shakespeare a man of ability? 
Present evidence. 

XI. What is the key, or clue, to John's course of action in 
the drama? 



41 



SECTION VIII. THE PLOT AND CHRONOLOGY OF THE PLAY 

XII. The Plot: 

a. What do you consider the central purpose, plan, or 

theme, of the play, King John? 

b. Where is the climax, dramatically? 

c. Where is the conclusion of the action? 

d. Discuss the unity of the play: 

(1) Define what you mean by unity in a play 

of this kind. 

(2) If this play has unity, in any sense, show 

how it is secured, and the relation of lead- 
ing and subordinate parts to this end. 

(3) If the play lacks unity, show why, and, in 

your discussion, prove from the play, to 
what the dispersion of interest and dram- 
atic strength is due. 
(3) In The Troublesome Raigne there was no 
hero who carried the sympathy of the au- 
dience through to the end; how did Shake- 
speare attempt to remedy this difficulty in 
his own play? 

XIII. Discuss the Following Questions: 

a. Why were the Magna Charter and the difficulties 

connected with it entirely omitted from Shake- 
speare's play? 

b. To what extent were the form and substance of 

this' play determined by the sources from which 
Shakespeare drew his historical material? 



42 



c. To what extent did state affairs and matters con- 
temporary with the stage presentation of the 
play, determine the selection of characters, or 
matter, or purport, in this play? 

Note. — The materials for this discussion, which should be written 
must be sought in detailed study of the reign of Queen Elizabeth and 
of the condition accompanying the re-organization social, political, 
and religious, following the separation from the hierarchy of the 
Roman Church. 

XIV. The Chronology of the Play: 

On page 143, Arden edition, is a chronicle, in outline, 
of the reign of King John. In this outline, star the 
time of the opening scene in the play, and by compar- 
ison with act i, note every introduction of facts ante- 
cedent to this date, and every historical reference. A 
discussion of the chronology of the play will be found 
in the introduction of the same volume, pp. x-xviii. A 
time analysis of the play is also given, p. xxxvi. Add 
to this time analysis events used by Shakespeare, with 
dates'. 

a. Star in the outline of John's reign, all events used 
by Shakespeare in his play, and inquire in accordance 
with what unity, sequence, or association, the selec- 
tion was made. 

b. In instances of marked inaccuracy in dates of 
events, time intervals, etc., inquire what Shakespeare's 
reason for the variation was, and whether it justifies 
the historical inaccuracy. Inquire, also, whether the 
inaccuracy is one of data and statement, or whether it 



43 



is misleading in the impression made on the audience, 
or in the relation and proportion of events intimately 
connected. 



SECTION IX. SHAKESPEARE'S INDEBTEDNESS TO "THE 
TROUBLESOME RAIGNE" 

FOR ADVANCED STUDENTS 

* *In the introduction of the Arden edition of King John is 
found a brief resume of The Troublesome Raigne of John, 
King of England, from which Shakespeare adapted his own 
play, King John. The following topics are intended as an aid 
in the comparison of Shakespeare's play with the earlier one. 
The dramatist's skill and power is often revealed by the de- 
vices, re-creations of characters, or changes in the significance 
of scenes, through which an old chronicle play, no better than 
others of its class, was transformed into a historical drama 
which by its own vitality and human interest has successfully 
claimed the attention of readers to the present day. The 
comparison might be made more effectively were copies of the 
original play easily accessible to all students. 

I. Each one should mark, throughout Shakespeare's play, in' 
the margin, every passage which is derived in any way from 
The Troublesome Raigne; in the same manner, lines, or pas- 
sages of which Holinshed's Chronicle is the source, may also 
be marked. By the use of "Tr. R." and "H.," etc., a graphic 
guide will indicate to the eye Snakespeare's indebtedness to 
his sources. 



u 



II. Changes in the Dbamatts Personae: 

a. What characters did Shakespeare re-create and de- 

velop from the old play? Show how he did this in 
( detail, as far as the notes furnished for the com- 

parison admit. 

b. For each one, discuss whether the reason for this 

re-creation was in the drama; that is, in a neces- 
sity of the action; or, in the artistic need of pre- 
senting well-drawn characters for the parts. 

c. What new characters did Shakespeare create? 

For each, discuss in detail the reason for which the char- 
acter was introduced, and trace throughout the play the effect- 
iveness of the part. 

III. The motiving of Action: 

The chief dramatic skill of the play-writer lies in the motiv- 
ing of action. Compare the outline of The Troublesome 
Raigne, as given, with the plot of Shakespeare's King John, 
and ask what changes Shakespeare intended to make. Critics 
say that in the re-arrangement, the dramatist four times left 
incidents, or parts', without sufficient motive. Discuss these 
especially, and in the case of each show whether the omission 
seems intentional, and whether the plot is weakened by it. 

The omission of the struggle against the supremacy of the 
church organization in England, leaves a succession of minor 
motives. 

a. What are they? How many and what distinct issues come 
up in different parts of the play? Show for each in 
which act, or acts it is dominant. 



45 



b. Could each of these have been made subordinate to a 

larger issue? 

c. Could John have been made the central figure, or hero, 

of the play, and unity thus secured? 
Note. — There are strong reasons for and against; present both. 
The arguments against must lie in the impossibility of creating the 
role of hero for King John, and requires cogent reasons to carry 
conviction. In presenting the argument for the role of hero for the 
King, it is necessary to show what the heart of the struggle between 
John and opposing forces would be in the play. 

IV. Condensations and Omissions: 

Examine all places in which condensations and omis- 
sions are noted, and inquire, — 

a. What the condensation, or omission really is, — 

whether of matter taking up time, or of infor- 
mation, of incident, or of emphasis upon person- 
ality. 

b. In what ways and to what extent is the omitted 

matter represented in the text of the play? 

c. What change in the significance of the scene, or the 

act, results? 

V. New Matter Added, or Old Matter Expanded by Shake- 

peare: 

a. In each instance, ask what the nature of the added 

matter is. 

b. Also ask what is the purpose of the addition or ex- 

pansion in the act or scene in which it is found: 
(1) Does it enrich the play in literary qual- 
ities? 



46 



(2) Does it strengthen the play in dramatic 

power? 
(8) Does it contribute to the interest of the 

audience, or to the permanence of the 

drama in literature? 



47 



THE STUDY-GUIDE SERIES 

PUBLISHED BY 
H. A. DAVIDSON, CAMBRIDGE, MASS. 



Fob the Critical Study of Literature, Composition, and 

Language 

A Guide to Engdjsh Syntax. A practical study of syntax in 
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The Study of Ivanhoe. Map of Ivanhoe Land, plans of Conis- 
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The Creative Art of Fiction. A discussion of narrative art, 
plot structure, etc. 

The Study of Four Idylls of the King. Includes topics, 
notes, references, etc., for Gareth and Lynette, Lancelot 
and Blaine, and The Passing of Arthur. Second edition. 

The Study of Idylls of the King. Full series, for study clubs 
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The Study of Romola. Arranged for study of the art of fiction 
in the historical novel and of the period of the Renaissance 
in connection with it. 

The Study of Henry Esmond. Arranged for study of the his- 
torical period, the novel, characteristics of the author, etc. 

The Study of the Historical Plays of Shakespeare. 
The Study of Shakespeare's King John. 
The Study of Shakespeare's Richard Second. 
The Study of Shakespeare's King Henry Fourth, Part I. 

and Part II. 
The Study of Shakespeare's King Henry Fifth. 

Study-Courses, containing a list of Study-Guides, with de- 
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